Incestuous honours system rewards its own

The public honours system is being devalued by the proliferation of honours bestowed on invividuals simply for doing their job

The honours system holds endless fascination for both its critics and its supporters, with much of this attraction being down to the mysterious processes that lie behind it.

I believe that a system of public honours has an important role to play but what often appals me are the hidden agendas behind its operation.

The most recent Queen's Birthday Honours List had some sharp reminders of its current shortcomings.

These do not centre around the concerns that hit the headlines when MPs recently